Bharatji had deep knowledge of all religions

Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal, Had Bharatji not born on this sacred Earth then religion would have been little lesser. Swami Rajeshwaranand Saraswati said this while delivering sermon at Manas Bhavan on the concluding day of Gorelal Shukla Memorial function.

Swami said Ramayana holds Bharat as a symbol of dharma and idealism. According to the Ramayana, Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu while Lakshmana, Bharat and Shatrughna are considered as part-incarnations of Sheshanaga, Shankha and Sudarshana chakra respectively.

While the ubiquitous story of Rama versus Ravana and the triumph of good over evil runs through each of them, very few succeed in doing justice to the minor characters in the story, many of whom remain obscure and overlooked. One such character is Bharat, eldest of Rama’s younger brothers, who ruled in his stead for the 14 years of the Rama’s exile.

After his mother Kaikeyi’s invocation of her two boons from King Dasharatha — that Rama should be exiled for 14 years and that Bharat must become the ruler instead — the king disowned both of them from his family as a penance for what he perceived was their cunningness.

Raghuandan Sharma, who was the chief guest, said the Ram Katha in the words of Swamiji benefits all and it is a pleasure to listen to it.